NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – Forty business leaders from East, Central, and Southern Africa were awarded certificates of completion by the Stanford Graduate School of Business after finishing a 10-month rigorous management programme under the Stanford Seed Transformation Programme.
They included 18 from Kenya as well as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Madagascar, and other African countries.
Launched in 2013, the Stanford Seed Transformation Programme has helped Kenyan CEOs and founders scale to new products, customers, and global markets.
To date, the Seed Transformation Programme has seen 29,901 direct jobs created, 110,600 indirect jobs created, over $1 billion in capital raised, and $923 million in revenue added to local economies, including Kenya.
Other are a 16.6 percent average compound annual revenue growth rate and a 19.7 percent average annual job growth rate across markets.
Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi advised entrepreneurs in attendance to do a few things well rather than always trying to do the latest thing.
He also talked about the importance of having a strong brand and described Equity Bank’s brand as a significant driver of its success.
Mwangi added that a strong business model fueled by a strong brand will deliver phenomenal business growth.
Stanford Seed Regional Director Frank Waruingi described the event as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the entrepreneurs and businesses within the alumni network (Seed Transformation Network) throughout the year.
Some of the businesses that were recognised for outstanding growth included RFH Healthcare, Unity Homes, Danco Capital, and Scanlab Nakuru.
With the 2024 intake for the Seed Transformation Programme ongoing, more African entrepreneurs will be joining the programme with the hopes of sharpening their business management skills, tools, and mindset to grow and scale their businesses using the world-class curriculum and innovative insights from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
